Goldie Lox And Her Trio Of Bears (Goldie Lox Prophecy Book 1), стр. 19
“Deer season is only a couple more weeks.” Vincent shook some salt onto his potatoes, reaching for a dish full of fresh jalapenos. “We need to be careful out in the woods. No shifting unless it’s an absolute necessity. Conner, that means you. Too many people out there.
“I didn't think it was legal to hunt here.” Jillian hugged herself.
“It wasn't always.” Conner said between bites, “But ever since that dickhead Congressman passed that bill three years ago, this place has been crawling with hunters.”
Jillian choked on a sip of water, tensing up at the mention of her father.
“What's wrong?” Conner squinted.
“Is it happening again?” Finn whispered.
“No.” She cleared her throat. “I need to throw something out there in the spirit of honesty.”
“Congressman James Lox.” Vincent sighed, cutting a piece of snake meat with the edge of his fork. “Her name is Jillian Lox. Come on, boys. Keep up.”
“I feel like an idiot.” Conner set down his fork.
“No, you are an idiot,” Finn murmured.
“I’ll be the first to admit that my father isn’t a saint.” Jillian folded her hands on the edge of the table.
Finn scoffed, and everyone looked at him. “Sorry.” He went back to pushing the food around his plate.
“Okay.” Jillian’s posture straightened. “You know what, it’s true. My dad is pretty much evil incarnate. He’ll do just about anything to get more votes, and he’s even shadier when he’s raising money to campaign.”
“Don’t apologize for your father’s mistakes.” Vincent wiped his mouth with his napkin and returned it to his knee. “That’s not your cross to bear.”
“It’s not about apologizing.” Jillian leaned forward. “It doesn’t matter who’s fault it is. I’m not self-deprecating by acknowledging what he’s done. What matters is how we fix it.”
“We can’t fix it,” Conner spoke with a cheek full of food. “All we can do is stop it from getting worse.”
“What happens if someone stumbles onto your place out here?” Jillian took a bite of the roasted tomato. The fire had blackened part of the skin, and it made a satisfying crackle as she bit into the juicy flesh.
“Nothing good.” Vincent swallowed a bite of snake meat. “Worst case scenario, we have to leave the cabin. Other than my family journals, all this stuff can be replaced. What we need to worry about is people finding the Circle.”
“What happens?” Jillian’s eyes widened. “Will it cause an earthquake or unleash a curse or something?”
Conner chuckled.
“No.” Vincent shot him a warning look. “But this place would be swarming with journalists and archaeologists.”
“Wouldn't that be a good thing.? I mean, at least if people knew there was a sacred religious site, people would care about it. Someone would take measures to protect it.”
“Sure.” Finn reeked of sarcasm as he finally took a bite of food. “They'd probably block it off… charge people to get in.”
“Wouldn't stop the tourists from trampling the rest of the forest to get here.” Conner rested his chin against his fist.
“Conner, get your damn elbow off the table.” Vincent turned back to Jillian. “It would turn into another Stonehenge. They’d give tours, and when no one is looking, people would be breaking off pieces of rock, taking it home to display on their mantle.”
“Still, that’s preferable to the drilling company coming in here and tearing the place up by the roots.” Finn’s shoulders slumped.
“Well, if Ted's dad gets his way, they'll be drilling here by summer.” Jillian finally got the courage to try the snake. It was flakey and well-seasoned, making her realize just how hungry she had been.
“Who?” Vincent frowned.
“Ted… You know the guy who was trying to kill me? His father owns the drilling company, and it's my father who has the power to let him in.”
“You still think it's a coincidence that she's here?” Conner nodded to Finn, who responded by kicking his shin under the table.
“Honestly, would it be so bad if the circle got destroyed?” Finn lifted his shoulders toward his ears.
“You can't mean that.” Conner’s fork clattered onto his plate.
“Why not? We’ve been waiting around this place to find the oracle. Here she is, and she doesn’t want to stay. Look, our species had a good run, but what if the humans were right? Maybe the modern world doesn’t need shifters. We don’t serve a purpose. Would it be so bad if this generation were the last?”
Jillian’s heart clenched. The thought of an entire species of magical beings facing extinction because of her stubbornness was almost worse than feeling like she wasn’t in control of her destiny.
“I guess it wouldn’t be the worst thing.” Conner sighed. “No more people getting mauled on full moons because their kids didn’t know what they were.”
“In old times, our people knew what to expect.” Vincent sat up straighter. “When I shifted, I knew what was happening, so I wasn't afraid, and no one got hurt.”
“It’s not just about the extinction of shifters. You know that, right?” Jillian glanced around at them and was met with three blank stares.
“What do you mean?” Vincent stopped eating and gave his full attention.
“The spirit spoke to me before she saved me. If our world loses its connection to the spirit realm, it will eventually lead to the end of all life on this planet. She said even the sun would burn out.”
“Did you know about this?” Finn looked at Vincent.
“No.” Vincent sat back. “But I’m not surprised. For all the wonders man is capable of, they did not create life.”
“Well, we did a fine job of fucking things up.” Conner drank the rest of his water, and another gunshot made everyone look out the dark window.
Vincent got up, closed the curtains, and turned the